April 4

Hymn of Praise

"I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever." Psalm 86:12

 Surely we would all agree that God is worthy of our praise and glory, but how do we praise God with all our heart? We can do this by cultivating the habit of including Him in every part of our lives. We must not separate our lives into secular and spiritual and leave God behind when we go out into the world. He needs to be a part of every aspect of our lives and even more so in the secular, for that is where we need Him most. The natural result of making Him a part of our entire lives is that we will find ourselves praising Him for the wonders he performs there. When God works in our lives and good things take place through us, it is a tendency of our human nature to desire praise for ourselves, but we must refuse to desire or accept any of the glory that belongs to God. Putting God first, and remembering that the glory for all the good that takes place in our lives belongs to Him, will bring with it a joy we have never known. When we put God first, we will maintain a priority relationship with Him, established through prayer, that is more important than any other here on earth. It is only then that we can praise God with our whole heart!

Father, help me to include You in every part of my day, even the mundane parts. Help me to serve You with joy, whether I am washing dishes or singing in Your temple. Help me to make You part of everything I do. Help me to feel Your presence with me always that I might praise You with all my heart and glorify Your name forever. Amen